Full of Surprises
by jf222
Summary: My first attempt...  Castle tries to surprise Beckett at Christmas.  Very Caskett-y
1. Chapter 1

My first attempt... Castle tries to surprise Beckett at Christmas. Very Caskett-y

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Christmas Day, 2011

6:30PM

Detective Kate Beckett sat at her desk in the empty precinct. She had volunteered to work so everyone else could stay home with their families. She looked down at her clothes - she'd tried to be at least a little festive, wearing a red top with her black pants. She rolled her eyes, knowing it didn't matter, It's not like anyone would see her outfit anyway. A few days earlier, her partner, Rick Castle, had asked what her plans were for Christmas. She lied and said she was spending the holiday with her father. The truth was, she and her dad had tried to celebrate the first couple of years after her mother was killed but soon realized, they were better off pretending it was just another day. She didn't want to tell him the truth knowing he would invite her to celebrate with him. It was hard enough dealing with the memories of her mother when it wasn't Christmas - she didn't need to have a breakdown in front of Castle and his family. She was so deep in thought, she didn't hear the elevator doors ding and the footsteps coming up behind her. She startled when a box dropped on the desk in front of her.

Castle plopped down on his chair and smiled as he said, "Merry Christmas, Detective. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at your dad's."

"No," she replied. "Just catching up on paperwork. I should ask you the same thing - why aren't you at home with Martha and Alexis?" She noticed he was dressed more casually than normal, wearing blue jeans and a gray thermal shirt. He was holding his coat over his arm and she had to force herself not to look down at his strong chest and arms. She'd never admit it but she wished he would wear tighter shirts more often - he looked great.

He looked a little sad as he said, "They're both out with friends. Alexis and her girlfriends do a Secret Santa thing every year and Mother is at a party somewhere. I'm sure I'll hear all about it when she stumbles home in the morning. I was planning on dropping off your present so you'd get it tomorrow." He nudged the box towards her. "Since you're here now though, I think you should open it." He looked so excited, Beckett couldn't help but smile.

"I suppose. I don't have anything for you though…" She had racked her brain for weeks trying to think of something but came up empty. What do you get the man-child who has everything?

"Oh, that's ok, you really don't have to," he insisted. "I like giving gifts a lot more than getting them." She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. He seemed sincere.

"Ok, you win," she said. She reached for the gift and found a rectangular box with an envelope taped to the top. She tore off the envelope and as she started to open it, he covered her hand with his. "This part is just for fun," he said. "Your real gift is in the box." She tilted her head, giving him a confused look.

She tore open the envelope and couldn't hold back a laugh. It was a homemade coupon book. He had even drawn pictures on each page. She flipped through them and noticed a couple of funny ones - a whole day of Castle-free whining about driving her car, and an entire _week_ without a single CIA, alien or mob conspiracy theory. She set the little book down on the desk and looked at him. He was grinning like an idiot, so proud of himself.

What Beckett didn't realize (and what Castle hoped she wouldn't find until later, when his ear was out of pulling range) was that he had hidden a few serious coupons in there too. There was one for a home-cooked dinner at his place, another for a soak in his luxurious whirlpool tub (his company optional), back and/or foot massages whenever she wanted, and unlimited drives in his Ferrari (his company required). He hoped she would actually want to use them so he could spend more time with her outside of the precinct.

"Thank you, Castle, this is a really cute idea," she said. She couldn't help but poke fun a little. "I'll have to save the CIA one for a really juicy case." An idea suddenly dawned on her. "Wouldn't it be hilarious if the one time I chose to use it, the CIA really was involved?"

He pretended to look hurt, clutching his chest and leaning his head back, but she knew he was joking. He got impatient and said "Ok, hurry up and open the other one!"

"Settle down, I want to take my time and enjoy this. It's fun to watch you squirm," she laughed. Still, she was excited to see what was in the box so she picked it up and tore off the wrapping paper. She set the box on the desk and paused with her hands on either side of the cover. She liked this part the most - the moment of anticipation before the big reveal. Beckett looked over at Castle and he was smiling widely. He was just as excited as she was. She lifted off the cover and folded back the tissue paper. She gasped and covered her mouth.

"Your Avengers #1 comic book?" she squeaked, her voice about an octave higher than normal. "No. There's no way I can take this! I know how much this is worth, it's _way_ too much!" She started to push the box back towards him when he once again covered her hand with his to stop her.

"Kate," he started, giving her a serious look. "I want you to have it. Really. I decided this would be your gift when I saw how interested you were during the Lone Vengeance case." He folded his arms and sat back in his chair, smiling.

"Seriously, Castle," she said, "I really can't accept -"

"Nope," he cut her off. "No backsies. It's a gift and you have to take it. Besides, I have tons of comics. If I had known this would make you so happy, I would've given you one every day..." He started to trail off as he realized what he was saying. The smile dropped from his face and he looked down at his hands, feeling awkward.

"Hey," Beckett said softly as she reached out to touch his arm. "Thank you. This is really great, I love it." He looked back up at her and she smiled warmly, still touching his arm. His grin returned and they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Beckett finally looked away when she realized the idea of leaning over and kissing him was creeping into her mind.

"Um," she stammered nervously, "I'm, uh, going to grab some coffee." She stood and quickly walked toward the break room. He stared as she walked away, confused by what had suddenly made her so jumpy. He put down his coat and followed her, stopping in the doorway. She stood at the sink, her back to him.

"Beckett, is everything okay?" he asked. "I mean, I guess if you really don't want the comic, I can take it back…" He couldn't think of anything else that could be wrong so he figured it was worth a shot.

"No Castle, that's not it. Everything -" She started to say everything was fine but stopped mid-sentence as she turned to face him.

"What? Everything is what?" Castle asked. He had no idea what was going on with her tonight. She continued to stare at him as a smile slowly spread across her face.

She started to walk to him. "I just figured out what your present is going to be," she said. She still looked nervous, but happier too. She bit her lower lip and closed the distance between them with a few more steps. He turned to face her with his back against the door frame. She leaned closer and his eyes widened.

"Uh, Beckett, not that I'm complaining but what are you doing?" Castle asked uneasily. All she did was smile and point up. He looked above his head and noticed a sprig of fake mistletoe taped to the wall over the door. As he looked back down, he was shocked to find her soft lips meeting his. She held onto his shirt with both hands to pull him closer and he finally caught up, putting his hands on her hips. She slid her hands behind his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. After a minute, she broke the kiss and pulled back, smiling at the stunned look on his face.

"Wow…" he said, blinking a few times. He couldn't form a complete sentence if he tried. His head was spinning.

"Merry Christmas, Castle," she whispered. She turned and walked back to her desk. He couldn't move, feeling rooted to the floor, still in a daze. She turned off her computer, pulled on her coat and picked up her gifts. She laughed to herself, watching him still standing in the same place, staring blankly. She picked up his coat too and walked back toward him.

"Hey Castle? Castle?" she called, finally snapping him out of it. He looked at her, his eyes scanning up and down.

_When did she put on her coat? _he wondered. "Sorry," he said, "what did you say? I was just kissed senseless by an amazingly beautiful woman. Maybe you've seen her?" His attempt at humor was weak but it was the best he could do under the circumstances. She was intoxicating.

"I was just saying we should get going. I was hoping to redeem a couple of coupons tonight," she said coyly. She smiled as she slipped two of them into his still outstretched hand and then headed for the elevator. He looked down at the coupons and was immediately convinced this entire experience was a dream. Maybe he had fallen asleep on his couch after eating too many Christmas cookies… He blinked a few times and looked down again. He was holding the one for a home-cooked dinner and the one for a soak in his tub. She hadn't given him any indication she had seen these earlier - had she? He looked up at Beckett and she was just standing there, patiently waiting for him to realize that he wasn't dreaming. Castle started to sprint towards her but only made it a few steps before stopping. He turned back, grabbed the mistletoe from above the door and then ran the rest of the way. She laughed as she pushed the button, handing him back his coat. As the doors opened and they stepped inside, he tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him quizzically and he pointed behind them. He had stuck the mistletoe to the wall behind him and was looking at her, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry Castle," she said, "not yet." She laughed again as his jaw dropped. She loved keeping him on his toes.

###

The drive to Castle's loft and the walk inside were quiet. They hung up their coats and walked into the kitchen.

"So Detective," Castle started, rubbing his hands together. "What would you like for dinner? There are no limits as to what's on the menu. Anything I don't have here, I'll go get."

"Hmm…" she said, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. She couldn't keep a straight face for long though. "I really don't have a preference. What do you feel like making?"

"Oh no," he said, "you're not getting out of this one. It's completely up to you." He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the refrigerator. He opened the door, bowing dramatically as he said, "your wish is my command."

After looking to see what he had on hand, she pulled some ingredients out of the fridge and the pantry and spread them out on the counter. "Here," she said. "I'm in the mood for Chicken Parmesan."

"Great!" Castle said. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He smiled and winked at her as he started to chop some vegetables for a salad. "Do you want to go pick out some wine?" he asked.

"Um, sure, I guess. You'll tell me if it's a good one though, right? I mean, to go with dinner?" She really didn't have any idea how to pair wine with food.

"Yes," he laughed, "but I'm sure anything you choose will be perfect. Will you turn on some music while you're over there?" He liked this new, more hesitant side of Kate. She was usually so sure of herself. _Just another layer to the onion_, he thought to himself.

After pouring glasses of the wine she had chosen (and Castle had insisted went well with chicken), she sat at the center island while he finished cooking. She couldn't help but stare - he looked cute in an apron. He dished up their plates and suggested they move to the dining room. He dimmed the overhead lights and lit a few candles. When she first saw the coupon for dinner, she had no idea it would be so romantic. She had hoped it would be, of course, and she should've expected him to go overboard, but she was still pleasantly surprised.

The conversation while they ate was light and relaxed. They talked and laughed, enjoying how comfortable they were together. As they finished, Beckett leaned back in her chair and stretched. "Wow, Rick," she said, "that was delicious, really. I had no idea you were such an excellent cook!"

"There are oh so many things you have yet to discover , Detective," he smirked, silently giddy she called him by his first name. "Maybe if you came over for dinner more often, you'd know that about me." He smiled as he cleared their plates, putting them in the sink and deciding that clean-up could wait until later. "Do you feel like having dessert too? Or do you want to wait until later?"

"Ugh, that will have to wait," she said, her hand resting on her stomach. "I couldn't eat another bite."

He refilled their wine glasses and led her to the couch, keeping his hand at the small of her back. Kate was thankful he was behind her and couldn't see her blushing. She blamed it on the wine at first but quickly admitted that it was all Castle. They sat down, closer than they normally do but still with some distance between them. She appreciated the fact that he was still giving her space even though she was sending him some crazy mixed signals tonight.

"So," he said, unsure where the night was headed. "Do you want to watch a movie? Or jump right to soaking in the tub?" He nudged her side with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes with a laugh and said, "A soak in your tub sounds perfect right about now, but this couch is so comfortable too. It's hard to choose…" She sunk down further into the cushions and closed her eyes, smiling. All he could do was stare; he couldn't believe how lucky he was to be sitting here with this gorgeous woman.

After a few minutes, she sat up. "Ok," she said, "if I don't get off this couch, I'll fall asleep." Kate stood and reached out her hand to help him up. He gladly took it and when he stood, they ended up almost nose to nose. There was a moment when Castle thought she might kiss him again but as usual, she looked away. He decided not to press.

"I'll go start the water," he said. "Be right back." He headed to his office, which led to his bedroom and bathroom. Kate waited awkwardly, standing in the living room. She was toying with an idea but wasn't sure if she could go through with it. She took another big gulp of wine for some liquid courage and decided, what the hell? She had already crossed the line with Castle more tonight than she ever had before and everything was fine. Better than fine, if she was being honest. She was having a wonderful time and didn't want the night to end. By the time she heard his footsteps returning, she'd made her decision.

"Ready?" he asked, standing in the doorway to the office.

"Almost. Can I see the coupons for a second?" She held out her hand and waited for him to dig them out of his pocket. "And can I have a pen, too?"

"Um,,, sure? What do you need it for?" Again, he was confused. He grabbed a pen out of a drawer and handed it to her.

"You'll see. I need to make a slight adjustment." She smirked as she covered her hand, hiding her writing from his view. He tried peeking anyway, wondering what was possibly going through this woman's head. She grinned and handed the coupon back to him. He looked at it and only saw one word in her handwriting - under where he had written the part about the tub, she wrote '+ wine'. Well, yeah, obviously. She already had wine. Kate saw that he was confused and told him to turn it over. On the back she had written '+ while I read to you from the book of your choosing'. His eyes grew wide and he looked back up at her. "Really? You want me to read to you? While you're in the tub? You do realize I'll be in the same room as you while you're naked, right?"

She smiled while he rambled, expecting his reaction. She held up her hand to stop him, saying "Yes Rick, I do. I actually wanted to tell you something but it's kind of hard to talk about…" She looked down at her hands for a moment, gathering her nerve to reveal a secret she had never told anyone. When she looked back up, he was waiting for her to continue. "I'm only saying this now, tonight, because it's Christmas, and because I really am trying to be more honest and open with you." He smiled, trying his best to keep quiet and not interrupt. She went on, saying, "I know I've let it slip a few times that I was a fan of yours before we met but you have no idea. You really are my favorite author." Castle was suddenly glad his tub had a sensor to automatically turn off the water when it was full - he had a feeling this was could be a long story.

"Please don't let this go straight to your head," she said with a smirk, "but my mom was also a big fan. I actually didn't read any of your books at the time but she did, constantly. One night right after she was killed, I felt like I just needed to be close to her. My dad was out drinking somewhere so I climbed into her side of their bed. The sheets still smelled like her." He was staring intently now at the far-away look in her eyes. It astounded him that even after all these years, she could recall the smallest details of her mother.

"I saw one of your books sitting on her nightstand, with her bookmark about three-quarters of the way through. I had seen them around the house but hadn't ever picked one up. Sorry, no offense." He smiled, taking her hand and finally speaking. "None taken."

She noticed he was rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand and she was comforted. "Anyway, I started reading the book and got completely sucked in. I read the entire thing that night, cover to cover. At the end, I had such a feeling of… peace, I guess. The good guy won, the bad guy got caught, there was justice for the victim - a happy ending. It made me think that maybe someday, there could be a happy ending for me too." She was looking at him again, with so much gratitude in her eyes. He felt like his heart was going to burst with love.

"After that, I read every one of your books I could get my hands on. I bought the new ones the day they came out and even stood in line to have some of them signed. Before you say anything -" she paused, seeing the stunned expression on his face (_how many times had she done that to him tonight_? she wondered). She continued, "- yes you can see them. I'll show you next time you come over." He squeezed her hand, still amazed at how well she could read his mind, even though she did it every day.

"Remember when I came here for dinner after the bank robbery?" He nodded, puzzled why she was bringing up that day now, in the middle of this story. "Well, you were wrong when you were counting how many times we've saved each other." She looked down at her hands again; he could tell she had something tough to admit. "You saved my life so many times before we ever met on that first case. Any time I felt like I was starting to spin out of control trying to solve my mom's case, I would read your books and feel grounded again." When she looked up at him again, she saw tears in his eyes. "So that's why I would love to have you, my favorite author, read to me from one of your books." She took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling like a weight had been lifted. She had barely taken another breath when she felt Rick's arms crushing around her.

"Thank you," he whispered into her ear. "No one has ever given me such an incredible compliment before, about my books or anything else. I wish I could remember meeting you at those book signings but I'm honored to have helped you through such a difficult time in your life. And I promise, I won't ever tell anyone, or let it go to my already massive ego." She pulled away and smiled, seeing the sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course, in true Castle fashion, you have to go and ruin a nice moment." She laughed as she said it, knowing he was joking to make her feel better.

"Seriously though," he said, "thank you. It really means a lot that you would share this with me. I should let you know one more thing about these coupons too." She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "The good ones, the ones I would also like, have unlimited uses and no expiration." He grinned and raised his eyebrows, handing the two she had redeemed back to her. "The other ones though, like the no whining and no bizarre theories - those are one time use only. And also, they expire at the end of December." They both laughed out loud as he grabbed her hand once again. "Ready to go unwind in the most awesome bathtub in the world?" She nodded and he led her towards his office.

###

Kate stopped in his office to choose a book while Rick continued to the bathroom to check on the water. While he was doing that, he also lit some candles and put towels on the heated towel rack. They would be toasty warm when she finished.

Kate realized as she looked through the titles that she had never paid close attention to his library. She felt badly, like that was something she should've done a long time ago. He spent so much time and effort getting to know every minor detail about her habits, her likes and dislikes, her mannerisms. What had she gotten to know about him? She heard him walk back into the room so she turned and handed him a book.

"Good choice," he said. "Going back to the beginning." She had given him _Heat Wave_, the book that started it all. "Everything is ready so if you want to get settled, I'll be in after a few minutes. I'm sure you can figure out the jet controls?" She nodded and walked into his bedroom, leaving him staring after her. He had to pinch himself. The one and only Detective Kate Beckett was walking through his bedroom, about to get naked in his bathroom and get into his bathtub. He shook his head to snap himself out of his daze and walked back to the kitchen. He grabbed her wine glass on his way through the living room and refilled it. He took these few extra minutes to call Alexis and see how her night was going. She was having a good time and was thrilled when he suggested that she sleep over at her friend's house. Normally he wouldn't go for such a thing on Christmas so she hadn't even bothered to ask. Castle grinned as he hung up the phone.

He had to stop and take a deep breath as he waited outside the bathroom door. This was really happening. He leaned his ear to the door and listened. Hearing the jets going in the tub, he figured it was safe to enter. He knocked and called out, "Beckett? Can I come in?"

"Yep, it's all clear. You were right, by the way, this is the best tub ever." He opened the door and walked in, speechless at the sight of her sitting in his tub. Just her head and the tops of her shoulders peeked above the water. "Well?" she asked after a minute. "Are you coming in or not?" She laughed at him still standing at the door, his mouth hanging open.

"Uh yeah, sorry." He fumbled closing the door and crossed the room. He set her glass next to the tub and sat down on the chair he had brought in earlier. The mood was perfect.

"Are Martha and Alexis coming home tonight?" she asked, eyes closed, head resting back against the edge of the tub.

"No, actually, I just talked to Alexis a few minutes ago. She's sleeping over at her friend's house." He watched Kate smile as she kept her eyes closed. "As for my mother, it'll be a Christmas miracle if she shows up before dawn. I would bet money on her rolling in around 11:00, demanding an omelet and a bloody Mary." He opened the book, flipping to the first chapter.

"Well, how about this?" she said lazily. "If that happens, I'll make the omelet and you can mix the drink."

His eyes bugged out of his head and he nearly dropped the book. _Did she mean to say that out loud? _he wondered. Was she planning on staying here tonight all along? Maybe in the guest room, he thought. Yeah that's probably it. He was _not_ going to assume that she wanted to sleep in his bed tonight. He couldn't. There was no way he'd be able to sit here and read to her, from his book, that was based on them, with that thought in his mind.

She opened one eye and peered over at him, still enjoying the fact that she could render him speechless when no one else could. "Are you going to start reading or what?" She smiled as she watched him fumbling again.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Just let me know when you want me to stop, okay?" Kate nodded, her eyes slipping closed again and he started reading. She couldn't believe that her most desired fantasy was actually coming true.

###

Nearly an hour later, Kate was still sitting in the tub, listening to her favorite author read to her from one of her favorite books. She had read it so many times, she could practically recite it with him. When she heard him coming to the end of a chapter, she opened her eyes and held up a hand.

"Ok Rick, I think I'm ready to be done," she said. "Be sure to mark your spot - I wouldn't want you to forget where to pick it up next time." She smiled as she saw the wheels turning in his head, hearing his thoughts. _Next time?_

He folded down the page, stood up and stretched. He was sore from sitting in the same position for so long. He caught her staring as his shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of skin. Now it was his turn to laugh, watching her bite her bottom lip and blush. "Here," he said as he handed her a towel. "I'll wait out in the living room."

"Actually, Rick?" she asked, surprised when she felt that the towel was warm. _When did he do that? _she wondered. "Can you get me a t-shirt and some sweatpants or something? I don't really feel like putting my work clothes back on."

"Sure," he said as he reached for the doorknob. "I'll be back in a second." She noticed the grin on his face as he headed for his closet. He came back with something for her to change into and then left again.

She emerged from his office several minutes later, looking extremely relaxed and comfortable. Rick was sitting on the couch waiting, smiling as he watched her walk over to him in her bare feet, wearing his clothes. She sat down next to him and pulled her feet up under her. He reached behind him, grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, asking, "Are your feet cold? Here, put this on." He covered her legs and tucked it under her feet.

"Thanks," she said, "this is perfect." They sat quietly for a few minutes, neither one sure what to say next.

Castle decided to take a chance and reached for her hand. She laced her fingers through his, drawing random patterns on his arm and laying her head on his shoulder. He could tell she was deep in thought and didn't want to be rude, but he just had to ask. "What are you thinking about?"

"You," she said without hesitation. He was surprised - usually she wasn't so forward.

"Really?" he asked, squeezing her hand. "What about me?"

"I honestly can't remember the last time I had this much fun, and it's all because of you. The whole night - first at the precinct, then dinner and the bath, now this…" She trailed off and turned her head, placing her chin on his shoulder. Quietly, she added, "I don't deserve you."

"Hey," he said, turning to face her, now holding both of her hands in his. "Don't say that. You know that's not true."

She tried to look down but he stopped her by putting one finger under her chin. "Yes it is. You're so wonderful and kind and generous, and I'm such a jerk." She turned and folded her arms over the back of the couch, burying her face.

He started to say no, she wasn't but she cut him off. "Yes I am! Look at us! Do you know how many times in the last few hours I've caught myself thinking that we could have this every night? That this could be our life? That if I weren't such a disaster and a head case, we could be happy together?" Her voice was raised and her hands were flailing and animated.

"Kate, stop." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her closely and rubbing his hand up and down her back. "We will have this every night and we will be happy together, someday. I promise. Okay?" He felt her shake her head against his chest and pull away.

"No we can't, not when you're going to hate me for what I have to tell you." She took a deep breath, looked him directly in the eye and said, "I lied. I remember everything that happened at the funeral."

She expected him to yell or throw something or tell her to leave, but he didn't. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly. "I know," he said simply.

"What?" she cried. "You know? But… how?"

"Kate, do you honestly think that after shadowing you for almost four years, I can't tell when you're lying?" He raised his eyebrows and it finally dawned on her. He really had known the whole time.

"But… why aren't you mad? I've been pretending that I didn't hear what you said for months. If I were you, I'd be furious," she said.

"I was hurt, at first," he acknowledged. "I figured you had your reasons though, and that you'd talk to me about it when you were ready. It had to be overwhelming when you first woke up and I didn't want to push. We still hadn't talked about our fight, or had a chance to grieve for Roy, you were still with Josh and I'm sure part of you thought I had only said it because I thought you were going to die."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. How could he possibly know her so well when she tried so hard to keep him and everyone else out? She nodded her head. Everything he said was true.

"Well, just so you know," he continued, "I didn't say it just because I thought you were going to die. I said it because I didn't want you to die without knowing how I felt." He used his thumb to brush away a few tears that had fallen down her face.

"Really?" she said softly, biting her lower lip and looking up at him. She looked adorable with her forehead scrunched up.

"Absolutely. It's still true, too. Has been every day."

She waited a moment before jumping in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. She pulled away, held his face with both of her hands and said, "Good, because I love you too, you know."

They held each other tightly, not saying anything for several minutes. Rick had his face buried in Kate's hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. He knew that he was going to have to tell her the secret he had been keeping too, especially now that she'd been so honest with him. He needed to enjoy this for a few more minutes though, in case she panicked and left.

"Kate?" he mumbled.

"Hm?"

"I need to tell you something too." It was now or never. "Please do me a favor, let me finish before you say anything, ok?"

She sat back a little but nodded and kept her arms around him. He told her everything - about the phone call, how he didn't know who the mystery man was or where he called from, that he had files of information but he had no idea what was in them or who they could potentially take down. He told her that he had even tried investigating on his own but it really was all dead ends. He made sure to emphasize that he was only keeping this from her to protect her; that he'd rather risk the case never getting solved and therefore never being with her, as long as it meant she was alive. He couldn't meet her gaze by the end of his rambling speech, afraid he wouldn't be able to get through it if he saw how hurt she was. He braced himself to get hit but when he looked up, he was surprised to see a small smile on her face.

"I've been seeing a therapist," she said. _Really? _he thought. _That was her response? _She continued, saying, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but he's really been helping me. It's nice to get an outside opinion from someone who can be objective." She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "He helped me realize that solving my mom's case is not the key to my happiness. If I want to move on with my life, I need to let her go, whether the case is closed or not."

This was not the reaction he expected. He kept quiet and listened.

"If you had told me all of this a few weeks ago, I would've stormed out of here so fast and ignored you for weeks," she said matter-of-factly. He believed her. "I would've been so angry with you for going behind my back and hiding this from me, I would've been blind to the big picture. I know you did what you had to do. I trust you, you know that. I don't like that you kept investigating on your own, considering they wouldn't hesitate to kill you too, but I understand. I would've done the same thing."

They both took a few deep breaths, reeling at how far they had come in such a short amount of time.

"So…" he started slowly. "Where do we go from here?" He was treading carefully, not sure how far he should push. He really should just keep his mouth shut and let her be in control, but he was feeling lucky.

"Well…" she said. "From now on, I think we should promise not to keep any more secrets. I don't know about you but the guilt has been killing me." She smiled with relief and he had to laugh. He felt the same way. "As for us…" she paused, causing Rick to hold his breath. This was the part he was worried about. "I'm done wasting time. I'm ready to do this if you are." She grinned as she waited for him to process what she had said.

"Really? Are you serious? Of course I'm ready!" He jumped up, pulling her off the couch with him. He lifted her in a big bear hug and spun her around in circles until she was laughing out loud. When he stopped and put her feet back on the floor, she kissed him, feeling him smile beneath her lips.

"I love you, Castle," she said.

"I love you too, Beckett." He responded by kissing her deeply, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. He whispered into her ear, "Best. Christmas. Ever."


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing. I'm not as happy with this chapter as I was with the last one - I feel like it doesn't flow as well. Hopefully you like it anyway. The second half was an idea I had for a separate story but I decided to try combining them... I'll see if I can come up with a New Year's idea for the next one.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

December 26, 2011

7:00AM

Kate shifted in her sleep. She was comfortable and didn't want to wake up yet. She stretched her arms above her head and as she brought them back down, felt her fingers brush against someone. She opened her eyes and saw Castle laying next to her, still asleep, and she smiled. _Oh wow_, she thought to herself. _It wasn't a dream_. She curled up next to his side and wrapped her arm around his waist. Even in his sleep, he tightened his arm around her. She thought back to what had happened just s few short hours earlier…

_The Previous Night_

Castle and Beckett sat on the couch for hours, talking about everything that came to mind. They had spent the last 4 years avoiding talking, instead using jokes and innuendos; stares heavy with emotion. When it came down to it though, they rarely talked about what really mattered.

Now that they had taken the leap, however, nothing was off the table. They shared memories from their childhoods, stories from Beckett's early days on the force, Castle's antics in school that got him in trouble. There was one thing Kate wanted to bring up but wasn't quite sure how. When there was a lull in the conversation, she took a chance and blurted it out.

"What happened with your ex-wives?"

She'd had this question in the back of her mind for years. She had read about him in the tabloids and heard about his divorces when they happened. When she had first met Rick, she assumed he'd gotten bored and moved on to the next best thing, or cheated with one of the hundreds of girls throwing themselves at him, chest-first. As she got to know him though, she started to think she'd been wrong. When he genuinely trusts and cares about someone, he is a fiercely loyal man. Once she saw that side of him, and was on the receiving end of that trust, she decided there was no way he could be unfaithful. She was stumped.

"Hm," he started, "I was wondering when what was going to come up." Kate was sitting in the corner of the L-shaped sofa, her legs resting over Rick's lap. He had one hand on her knee and the other on her foot. She reached over and touched his hand, regretting her question. Why did she have to ask about that now when things were going so well?

"Nevermind, you don't have to tell me. Forget I asked," she said. She knew that if there was something he brought up that she didn't want to talk about, he would respect that. She decided to do the same and give him a way out.

"No, it's ok," he said. "It's just kind of a sore subject, that's all." He squeezed her hand. "To get the whole story, you actually have to go back a little further. When I was a much younger man, I thought Kyra was my soul mate. The love of my life, you know? When she left me, I was devastated, my heart was shattered. I didn't think I'd ever feel that way for anyone again." He was looking down and Kate could see how much it still hurt after all this time.

"When I was sure she wasn't coming back, I decided I didn't believe in love anymore and I wanted to have as much fun as possible. I had one-night stands and went out to the bars almost every night… Not the best decisions I've ever made, that's for sure."

"Rick, everyone makes stupid decisions when they're young," Kate said. "That's what being young is for."

He smiled, thankful she was trying to make him feel better. "Yeah, well, I definitely made more than my share. Anyway, I started casually seeing Meredith and it was wild. She was crazy and reckless - exactly what I was looking for. She got pregnant and I had to convince her to marry me, let alone keep the baby. I thought it was the right thing to do - I didn't want my kid growing up with a single parent like I did."Kate sometimes forgot that while she only had her dad now, she was lucky enough to have two loving parents for almost 20 years. Rick never knew his father and Martha had struggled to make ends meet with he was growing up. "Alexis turned out to be an amazing young woman, though. You did a great job with her," she said.

"Thanks but she pretty much raised herself. She didn't even need me to teach her how to tie her shoes - she figured it out on her own," he said. "Meredith tried to do the domestic wife and mother thing for awhile but it just wasn't in her. She constantly needed something new and shiny, and we weren't enough. She had an affair with some director who promised her a big movie role, moved to L.A. and sent me divorce papers. Didn't even try to get custody." He shook his head, still not quite believing how absurd the whole situation had been.

"When did you start seeing Gina?"

"Not until years later. Once Alexis was born, I spent 100% of my time with her. I didn't date at all after Meredith left. I didn't have time, but I also had no desire, My priorities had completely changed. But as Alexis got older, I knew she was going to start needing a woman around. There was no way I'd be able to help her with puberty or make-up or crushes on boys. If it were up to me, I would've locked her in her room until she was 30."

Kate laughed. "That was exactly what my dad wanted to do with me, too."

"At the time, we saw my mother occasionally, but she was busy with her acting career and her own boyfriends or husbands. Plus I wanted Alexis to be getting her relationship advice from someone with a better track record. I knew Gina from Black Pawn and we got along well enough, especially at work. She was a good colleague so I figured she'd probably make a good partner at home too," he said.

"Wasn't that a conflict of interest?"

"Yes. It definitely wasn't a good idea to mix business with pleasure. Not that you and I will have that problem, mind you," he said with a wink, squeezing her knee.

"I'm not worried," she said with a smile.

"Good," he said. "Me either. With Gina, though, we could never separate the two. She was all business, even at home. Plus, as much as I wanted her to be close with Alexis in theory, I was never okay with it. I wanted to protect what Alexis and I had, and I was worried about what adding another person would do to our little world. You saw the same thing happen the second time we tried it, with the concert tickets."

"I remember," Kate said, rolling her eyes. She didn't want to; thinking about him dating Gina made her feel jealous all over again.

He continued. "Anyway, she got sick of being the third wheel in a loveless marriage and asked for a divorce. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time but we were never in it for the right reasons."

"Can I tell you something?" Kate asked. She had always kicked herself for never telling him the truth about that day he left for the Hamptons but until tonight, there had never been a time that felt right.

"Sure, anything."

She told him the whole story - how she ended things with Demming earlier that day and was going to accept his invitation, but then Gina showed up and interrupted them.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I should've told you anyway. Gotten you alone again or just not cared and told you in front of everyone. They all knew anyway - they could see how I felt about you long before I did."

"Are you kidding me?" he cried. "Oh God, I'm such an idiot!" He ran his hands through his hair. "I swear, I really didn't want to bring her. She called me the day before to harass me about the next deadline and when I told her I was planning on heading up there to finish the book, she invited herself. I decided I'd rather put up with her than feel like a loser sitting up there alone, thinking about you dating someone else."

"Rick, it's ok," Kate said. "I wanted to tell you because that's the real reason the guys and I were so mad when we saw you again in the fall. I was still hurt, feeling like you chose her over me. It's stupid, though, you didn't even know how I felt."

"Wow," he said. "I honestly had no idea. It's so crazy how we've always been so in tune with each other when we're solving cases. Why did it take us so long to be on the same page outside the precinct too?"

"It's just part of what makes us - _us_," Kate said, shrugging her shoulders. "It took us longer than most people to get this far but I think that's a good thing. We needed to get through all of those obstacles to know how real this is and that neither of us is going anywhere. Just think - what would've happened if we had gone to dinner and 'debriefed' each other after that first case? Or if we had gone to the Hamptons that weekend?" She looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"I would've acted like a jackass and screwed it up."

"Exactly. We weren't ready," Kate said. She looked at her phone and said, "Ugh, I didn't realize how late it was getting. I'm exhausted." She leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes.

"Come on," he said, standing up. "Let's go to bed." He held out his hand, waiting to help her up.

She looked at him with her eyes narrowed. "Hey," he said, holding his hands up as if he were surrendering. "I won't try anything, I swear. Just sleeping."

She smiled and took his hand, standing up next to him.

###

Kate smiled and hugged her arm more tightly around Rick.

"Hmm…" he hummed quietly. "Morning."

"Hey," she said. She turned her head, resting her chin on his chest, looking up to his face. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a long time," he smiled. "You?"

"Same. Normally I wake up at least a few times from nightmares but I slept like a rock," she said.

"You have nightmares that often?" he asked, a concerned look on his face. She nodded. "Me too. I always thought about calling or texting you when I couldn't sleep, but I didn't want to wake you."

"I've thought about calling you too… How about from now on, we agree to let each other know when we can't sleep. Okay?" she asked.

"Deal. You want breakfast?" he asked.

She nodded and climbed out of bed, heading toward the bathroom. "I'll meet you in the kitchen," she said, smiling over her shoulder.

Castle laid in bed for a few more minutes, grinning. Finally, he convinced himself he should get up and start a pot of coffee.

###

Fifteen minutes later, Kate walked into the kitchen to find that Rick had already cooked up enough to feed a small army. The center island was full of plates with eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast and fruit.

"How did you do all of this?" she exclaimed. "I was in the bathroom for like 30 seconds!"

"Magic," he said, smiling as he handed her a cup of coffee. They both piled up their plates and sat down to eat.

"So," Castle said, "what do you want to do today? Do you have to go into work?"

"Nope, not until tomorrow. I don't care what we do - did you have any ideas?" she asked.

"I think we should pick out a couple of movies and lay around on the couch," he said. "How does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect," she said. "Let's go."

###

They chose a few comedies and settled in for a lazy morning. They stretched out next to each other on the couch, Kate laying next to Rick with her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

At 10:45, Kate and Rick heard the door open and Martha call out, "Hello? Richard? Anyone home?"

"In here," Rick called back. "See?" he said quietly to Kate. "What did I tell you?"

"I'll start the omelet," Kate said, smiling.

###

Alexis walked in the front door of the loft and heard laughter in the kitchen. She found her grandmother sitting on a stool eating breakfast, and her father and Detective Beckett standing next to the island.

"Alexis!" they all called out. Kate added, "Are you hungry for breakfast? I can make you an omelet."

"Absolutely," Alexis replied. "As long as there are no s'mores ingredients involved." She shot Rick a pointed look.

Kate fake-gagged. "Oh my God, that sounds disgusting. Just eggs, some meats and some vegetables. Nothing weird."

Martha finished eating just as Kate handed Alexis her plate. "Well darlings," Martha said, "that was delicious! Just what I needed. I need to get to bed though, my beauty sleep awaits!" She made a grand exit, sweeping up the stairs.

While Alexis was busy eating, Kate gave Castle a look, nodding her head toward the living room. He took the hint that she wanted to be alone with his daughter. "Uh…" he stammered. "I'm going to… um… go get the next movie ready?"

Kate smiled and said, "Great, thanks." As soon as he was out of ear-shot, she turned to face Alexis. "Can we talk for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," Alexis said. She had finished eating so she put her fork down and looked up at Kate. "What's up?"

Kate was nervous. She didn't want Alexis to feel uncomfortable with her and Rick's new-found relationship. "Well," she started, "I want to run something by you. Your dad and I made a decision last night and it's important to me that you're ok with it."

"Oh," Alexis said. "Are you moving in?"

"What? No!" Kate cried, dropping the spatula she was holding. "Move in? No, we decided to start dating!"

"Really?" Alexis asked. She narrowed her eyes and looked closely at Kate. "I thought you guys were already dating. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive!" Kate said. "We talked about how we feel and decided to start dating a little more than 12 hours ago, I promise."

"Oh ok," Alexis said. "As long as you guys make each other happy, anything you want to do is fine with me." She got up, walked around the center island and gave Kate a hug. "I need to take a nap, I'm exhausted. Will you be here for dinner?"

"Um, sure, I guess so," Kate said, confused. She really didn't expect that conversation to go so well. "See you later."

Kate walked into the living room and found Castle laying on couch, staring at the movie's menu. "Hey," she said, sitting down next to him. "Thanks for letting us have some privacy. I know it's hard for you to be left out of things." She smiled and poked his side.

"Not a problem. Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Everything is perfect," she replied. She laid down next to him, ready to enjoy the next movie.

###

After staying in the loft all morning, Castle and Beckett decided to get some fresh air and go out for a late lunch. At 1:30, they walked out of the café where they had just finished eating. They held hands as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"Would you mind running an errand with me? It shouldn't take long," Rick said.

"Lead the way."

They walked a few blocks before Castle stopped at a building and held open the door. Kate looked up but didn't recognize where they were and didn't see a name. She gave him a questioning look.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad," he said, smiling.

They walked through the lobby and got in the elevator. Castle pushed a button and when they got out, Kate saw a nice looking lobby and a woman sitting at a reception desk.

"Hi Sarah," Rick said, walking up to the desk.

"Mr. Castle, hi," the woman said, looking surprised. "We weren't expecting you today. Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine. Does Paul have a few minutes? I just need to introduce him to someone," he said.

"He should be heading to a meeting soon but let me give him a call. Why don't you have a seat?" She picked up the phone as he turned back to Kate. They sat in the comfortable chairs and only waited a few minutes before they heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Rick!" They heard a booming voice echo through the lobby. "What are you doing here? You never come to visit anymore." A grinning man walked over to them as they stood.

"Paul, I'd like you to meet Detective Kate Beckett," Rick said. He put his hand at the small of her back and ushered her towards his friend. She held out her hand to shake his. "Kate, this is Paul Nelson. We've known each other since we were freshman in college."

"Nice to meet you Detective. I've heard wonderful things about you. Come, let's go to my office," Paul said. He led them down the hall to an impressively large office with an amazing view of the city. Paul pick up a folder from his desk and handed it to Castle. "Sorry to keep you waiting but I was pulling your file. I'm assuming that's what you came for?"

"You read my mind," Rick said. "Sorry I didn't call first but we were in the neighborhood and I brought her here kind of on a whim." He turned to smile at Kate.

"Ok," she said. "I'm officially confused. Where are we?"

Both men laughed. "Paul handles all of my finances," Rick said.

"And actually, I have to get to a meeting," Paul said. "Feel free to stay here and talk for awhile. I'll let Sarah know so no one disturbs you." He shook both of their hands again. "Rick, always a pleasure. Detective, nice to meet you."

Castle and Beckett found themselves alone so Rick suggested they sit in the chairs next to the window. He grabbed a highlighter from the cup on Paul's desk on their way. They sat down facing each other and Rick took a deep breath.

"Ok, will you please tell me what's going on?" Kate asked. She was tired of being kept in the dark.

"Yes. I want to show you something," he said. "First I should say one thing - I've never brought anyone here before. Ever. The only person who has seen what's in this file is my lawyer, and that was just to update my will."

"Really?" Kate asked. "Then why am I here?"

"Well, what I wanted to talk to you about actually has 3 parts," he said. "The first has to do with Alexis." He opened the folder and highlighted something on the page. When he handed it to her, her eyes got wide.

"Is this a dollar amount?" she asked. "This is more than would I make in 10 years!"

"I set up this account for Alexis to use for college, graduate school, law school, medical school - whatever she ends up doing. She can use it for her wedding, her honeymoon and her first house if she wants." He paused for a few moments before he continued. "Do you remember the case we had last year with the mummy? When I thought I was cursed?"

Normally, Kate would take this easy opportunity to make fun of him but she was so stunned, all she could do was nod.

"And remember how I asked you to take care of Alexis if anything ever happened to me?"

She found her voice and said, "Yes, of course. You know I would do anything for her."

"Good," Rick said. "After that case, I called Paul and added your name to this account."

She looked up at him, eyes still wide. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me?"

He continued without answering. "And even though it's a moot point now since she's almost 18 and wouldn't need a guardian, I also talked to my lawyer and put that in my will. Are you mad?"

"No," she said, still with a confused look on her face. "I guess I just don't understand why you didn't run that by me."

"I knew you would take care of her, probably without my asking in the first place. Right?" he asked.

"Yes, that's true." She thought back to that morning and realized she could picture herself making breakfast for Alexis (_and their other children?_ she thought) every morning. She shook her head, Rick's voice bringing her back to the present.

"Well, I figured to make it easier on everyone, I would make it legal," Rick said. "So, that's the first part. Ready for the next one? This affects you more directly."

Kate took a deep breath and braced herself. "Ok," she said, "Ready."

Castle highlighted another number on the page and handed the folder back.

"Holy shit," Kate exclaimed, her hand flying to cover her mouth. "What is this?"

"This," Rick said, "is every penny I've made from Nikki Heat."

"No, this can't be right," she said, shaking her head. "There has to be some mistake. I mean, I know the books have been popular but this is ridiculous!"

"There's no mistake," he said. "This is from all the books, the movie rights, all the interviews, magazine articles and appearances I've done - everything. And it's all thanks to you." He set the folder down on the table between them and reached over to take her hands. "You probably don't know this but when we first met, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Gina was breathing down my neck for my next book idea and I had nothing. As soon as you walked into that party, I knew I was hooked. After that first case we worked together, I went home and wrote more in one sitting than I ever had before. I had never felt so inspired." He squeezed her hands and smiled. "It hasn't stopped either. I can't write if we haven't talked or seen each other. As much as you hate it, you really are my muse."

"Wow," Kate whispered. "I don't know what to say."

"Say that you'll take the money," he said. "Or at least some of it. It's as much yours as it is mine anyway. I know you don't care about material things, but I want you to use it for anything you want. Travel around the world, buy a new apartment, buy your own Ferrari."

"No," she said quietly. "I like driving yours."

"I'm ok with that," he said. "Seriously though, will you consider using it? Actually, wait, I have an idea." He got up and walked over to Paul's desk, taking a business card from the holder. He sat back down and handed it to her. "Here, take Paul's information and contact him directly when you want to use it. You don't have to tell me anything about how much you take or what you spend it on. Ok? Please?" He looked so hopeful that she couldn't help but give in.

"Ok, I'll think about it," she said, visions of new boots and coats dancing in the back of her mind. She had never seen him grin so much before.

"This is going so much better than I expected," Rick said, looking relieved. "I thought you'd run before we even got started. Only one more thing to go. Are you doing ok?"

"Yes, I think so," she replied. "Just hurry up, you're making me nervous."He turned the page and circled one last number with the highlighter. Handing the folder to her, he said, "This is it. This is everything I have."

"Oh God," Kate said. "This is longer than my Social Security number!"

"It's Nikki Heat, Derrick Storm, my other books, stocks, investments, property - everything," he said.

She stared at the piece of paper in her hands for a minute before she looked up and asked, "Why are you showing me this?"

Rick reached for her hands. Even though she hadn't run yet, he thought she might with what he had to say next. "Well, I don't know how else to put this so I'm just going to say it."

He looked nervous, which made Kate even more uneasy.

"I know we just decided to officially do this yesterday, but I've known for a long time that… you're it for me," he said. When he saw her eyes slide closed, he quickly added, "I don't want to rush into anything, I swear. You're just so different than anyone I've ever met. With everyone else, I always have doubts about whether they like me for me or if they're after my money. That thought has never crossed my mind with you. And even though this money has given me a lot of freedom and a fun lifestyle, it comes at a price. I don't have a lot of privacy and I always worry about the paparazzi and crazy fans. I just want you to know what you're getting into."

"Ok…" she said slowly, her eyes open and fixed on their hands. "But I still don't understand why you're showing me this. If we did get married -" She paused to cover his grinning mouth with one hand. "I said _if_, Castle." Even though he was still smiling, he nodded so she lowered her hand. She had to pause for a moment to ignore the butterflies that had formed in her stomach - Her? _Marry_ Richard Castle? Just the thought almost made her pass out from excitement. "_If_ we did, someday, why not just sign a pre-nup? Then this wouldn't even be an issue. Didn't you have Meredith and Gina sign them?"

"Well with Meredith, neither of us had any money yet, so there was no need," he said. "Plus she didn't ask me for anything when she left. I did sign one with Gina but it was her idea. She had her own money and like I said, she wanted to keep everything separate. With you though, there's no way in hell I would want one."

"What?" she exclaimed. "Why on earth not? You have a bajillion dollars in this account. Your lawyer's head would explode if there was no pre-nup.""I don't care, I rarely listen to what he says anyway," Rick said, chuckling. "But either way, there's absolutely no way. I want to share every single part of my life with you, including the money. You know how it goes - in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, etc etc."

She tried to cover the smile starting to form but he could see right through her. He was thrilled he hadn't scared her away and didn't even try to hide his grin.

"So," he said, "that's it. What do you think?"

"I think… I love you," she said. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Let's go home and figure all of this out later." She stood and reached for his hand, helping him to stand. He beamed when she called his loft _home_, and hugged her tightly. Now that they had this conversation down, he just had to figure out how long he had to wait before he could propose…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

December 30, 2011

4:30PM

Detective Beckett signed the last form in her inbox and silently closed the folder. She looked at Castle and smiled; he had fallen asleep in the chair next to her desk. She poked his arm softly a few times and his eyes slid open.

"Hey," Kate said. "I'm done"

"Oh thank God," Rick said. "I'm _SO_ bored!"

"Really? I couldn't tell," she said sarcastically. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Already? I thought you had to stay until 6:00," he said.

"I'm on call until then but I don't have to stay here. Dispatch will call me if a body drops." They both stood up and Rick helped her into her coat. "Let's head to Remy's, I need a burger," she said.

###

They sat in their regular booth and ate their burgers and fries. It had been an easy week, case-wise. Castle called them dull and even though Beckett liked the weird ones most of the time, she could appreciate easy, open-and-shut cases too. She had been able to eat dinner with the Castles and stay at the loft every night because she wasn't stuck at the precinct.

"So…" Kate started. "About your New Year's party tomorrow…"

"What about it?" Rick asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me to be your date?" she said smiling. "Or is that just implied now that we're a couple?"

"What would you like to do?" he asked hesitantly. "Do you want to be my date with all of your co-workers there?" They hadn't told anyone about their relationship except Martha, Alexis and Kate's father.

"I do," she said. "I'm ready for them to know and I think your party is the perfect place to tell them. The only thing I still worry about is ending up in the gossip column. Can we keep it quiet when we're in public? At least for awhile longer?"

"Sure," Rick said. "That's fine with me." He checked his watch. "Wow, I didn't realize how long we've been sitting here. It's almost 6:00 already."

"That means I'm officially off the clock until 6:00PM Sunday," Kate said.

"I think we need to celebrate your 48 hours of freedom. Come on, let's go," he said, getting out of the booth. "What would you like to do? Travel? We could make it to Paris and back by Sunday night." He smiled and nudged her with his elbow. They walked down the sidewalk, huddled close together to keep warm. She laughed, knowing if she said yes, they would be on a plane within the hour.

"Actually I have an idea. Something you would like to do," she said.

He gave her a confused look. "Do tell."

"Take me shopping for a new dress. I want to look amazing for our official debut tomorrow night," she said.

"Really?" he exclaimed. He stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. "You _hate_ when I buy you things. Who are you and what have you done with my partner?"

"I'm serious!" she said, rolling her eyes. "You offer to buy me things all the time so I figured I might as well get used to it."

"Ok, whatever you say. We're going right now before you change your mind!" Rick grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the nearest store.

###

Two hours later, they walked back into the loft carrying several shopping bags. Kate had found 2 different dresses she liked and before she could decide between them, Castle bought them both. Once they had their coats and shoes off, Castle picked up all of the bags and took them to his bedroom. He met Kate in the kitchen where she handed him a beer.

"Is there anything we have to do to get ready for the party?" Kate asked.

"I'll move some furniture around in the morning but everything else should be taken care of. The food is going to be delivered, the bartender is bringing the booze… oh wait, I know one thing we could do now."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, waiting for him to explain. He crossed the room to the stereo and turned on some soft, slow music. He held out his hand and motioned for her to join him in the middle of the living room. She set down her beer, walked over to him and took his hand. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her close. His lips next to her ear, he whispered, "We need to practice our slow dancing. I plan on doing this with you quite a bit tomorrow night."

Kate smiled. "Oh really?" she asked. "I'm already an exceptionally good slow dancer. What makes you think I need to practice?"

"Ok, fine, you caught me," he said quietly. "I just wanted an excuse to wrap my arms around you. Can you blame me?"

"You don't need an excuse, Castle," she said. "Not anymore." She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face down to hers. She kissed him, only pulling away when they needed to breathe. They danced for a few more songs before Kate started to yawn.

"Want to go to bed?" he asked.

"Actually," she started, breaking eye contact, "I was thinking about staying at my apartment tonight.""Why? What's wrong?" he asked, immediately assuming the worst. Had he said or done something to upset her?

"No no, nothing is wrong, I promise," she assured him, "but I've stayed here every night since Christmas. I just think it would be a good idea to spend a little time apart. Besides, I'm still paying rent at my place and it's just been sitting empty."

She walked toward the door. Rick helped her with her coat, sulking the whole time.

"Don't mope," Kate said. "I'll see you in the morning, ok? I'll come back bright and early to help get everything ready."

"Ok…" he said, pouting. "Good night." He leaned down, trying to use his kiss to convince her to stay. Sadly, it didn't work and before he knew it, the door was closing behind her. He knew how much she valued her space and privacy - he just didn't realize it would be so hard to let her go once they were finally together. He shuffled to his office, heading for bed. Standing in his room half-dressed in his pajamas, he startled when he heard a knock. He turned around and saw Kate standing in the doorway.

"Did you forget something?" he asked, wearing only his sweatpants and holding a t-shirt in his hand.

"Yes," she replied. She walked towards him, wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. "I made it down to the lobby before I realized, I don't want to go to my apartment. I felt like I _should_ because we've spent 24 hours a day together all week."

"Kate -" he started.

"No wait, let me finish," she interrupted. "With every relationship I've had before, I've always wanted to spend a lot of time by myself. I thought that was normal. It's different with you though - I want to spend every second with you and that scares me. A lot."

She brought her hands up his arms, over his biceps and onto his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles and bare skin.

Continuing, she said, "I missed you the second I walked out the door and it just got worse the further away I went. I've never felt like this about anyone, Rick. I'm so afraid of screwing this up."

"I missed you too," he said. "I didn't want to say it and scare you away but I want to spend every second with you too." He leaned down and kissed her before adding, "Don't worry about screwing anything up. If we can survive all the near-death experiences we've been through so far, we can make it through anything." He was relieved to see her smile.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go to sleep."

After they had both brushed their teeth and changed, they crawled into bed. They shifted around to get comfortable, both laying on their backs, when Castle thought of something.

"Hey how did you get back in here? I locked the door behind you," he said.

"I used the key you put on my key ring - 'for emergencies' remember?" she replied.

"Right," he said, "but why didn't you just knock? You knew I'd be awake - you were only gone a few minutes." He was pushing her buttons and he knew it, but he just had to find out if his suspicions were correct.

She was glad it was dark in the room so he couldn't see her blush. "Ok, fine, I'll admit it" she said. "I was hoping to walk in on you changing so I could see you naked. Happy?"

"I knew it!" he cried. He rolled on his side to face her and wrapped his arms around her. "You know, Detective, you don't have to try to be all sneaky - all you have to do is ask."

She rolled her eyes and turned to face him. "Castle, be serious. We haven't taken that step yet and it's getting more and more difficult to remember why I wanted to wait. And now, after seeing you even half naked, I've forgotten completely."

"I know it's not easy," he said, "but we'll wait as long as you want. I want to date you properly - you know, treat you like a lady." He smiled and squeezed his arms around her. "And as much as I can't wait to have that sort of fun with you, I love sleeping next to you just as much."

"Thank you," she said. "I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm glad I did it." She kissed him and rolled over, pressing her back to his chest. They both fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

###

December 31, 2011

2:00PM

Castle and Beckett had spent the morning getting the loft ready for Rick's annual New Year's Eve party, set to begin at 8:00 that night. They moved furniture, cleaned and were having a ball putting together a playlist on his ipod.

"Do you have every song ever recorded?" Kate asked. "There's like 10 years' worth of music on your computer!"

"You're just mad because it's going to take longer to choose what songs you want," he laughed.

"True," she said. "That's why you need to help." She tugged on his hand until he was sitting next to her on the couch.

They spent the next hour scrolling through the hundreds of choices, trying to decide what everyone at the party would enjoy. Both of their stomachs growled and they realized they hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"How about if I order Chinese food?" he asked.

"Sounds good."

They both gorged themselves when the food arrived. They knew they'd be busy with hosting duties at the party and probably wouldn't get the chance to eat much later. When they finished, Kate leaned back on the couch and sighed.

"I'm stuffed," she said. She stood up and started to pick up the empty containers.

"Leave it," Rick said. "I'll clean up."

"Thanks," she replied. "I need to head to my apartment anyway to pick up some things. I don't have any shoes here that are nearly sparkly for tonight."

"You know…" Castle started as he stood up next to her. He took her hand and said nervously, "if you wanted, you could bring a few more things than just shoes back here with you…" He trailed off at the end, not sure if that was a good idea.

"Bring a few more things as in… move them here permanently?" she asked, her eyes wide and nervous.

"No…" he said, pausing for a moment. "Ok yes…" He hurried to continue before she could say anything. "I don't mean move everything here today. I just thought since you've been spending so much time here, it would be easier if you didn't have to run back and forth so often."

She stared down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I know, it's too fast. Please, forget I even brought it up."

"No, that's not it," she said. His eyes snapped up to look at her face. Was she actually going to agree to this? After 6 days? He bit his lip to keep from squealing like a little girl.

She took a deep breath and continued, "It's just… I always thought I would be engaged or married before I moved in with someone. It's old-fashioned, I know, it's dumb."

"Not at all," he insisted. "I already told you earlier this week where I want this to go and I was completely serious. Someday, down the road, after we've been dating for more than a week, I want to marry you."

She looked at him and he saw she had tears in her eyes.

"Tell you what," she said, "I won't move anything today but I promise I'll think about it. Maybe soon, ok?"

He hugged her tightly and said quietly, "Deal. Hurry back."

She just smiled and headed out the door. He leaned against it once it was closed and rubbed his hands over his face. He really needed to work on filtering his thoughts around Kate.

###

A few hours later, guests started to arrive. Rick kept glancing at the door, waiting for Kate. He was trying not to worry - he knew she liked to take her time to get ready, especially for a big night like this. He greeted Detectives Ryan and Esposito, Jenny, Lanie and the Captain as they all came in. Finally, after looking at the door for what felt like the hundredth time, he saw her.

She was breathtaking.

Her hair was swept up and she was wearing a black, knee-length dress and shockingly tall high heels. She was stunning. Rick weaved through the crowd and made his way to her side. As soon as their eyes met, she grinned, radiating happiness. He kissed her cheek and took her coat, hanging it up for her.

"Thanks, Rick," she said. "It looks like a good turnout so far."

"I hadn't noticed," he replied. "I've just been waiting for you." He smiled and guided her toward the bar with his hand at the small of her back.

"You haven't been ignoring everyone, have you?" Kate asked, nudging him with her elbow. "That's not being a very good host."

"I don't care," he said smiling. "You can't possibly expect me to concentrate on talking to people when you weren't here. So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" she asked, confused.

"How are we revealing this to everyone?" he said.

"I was thinking you could make your toast at midnight and kiss me as the ball drops. What do you think?" she asked.

"I like that plan, except the part about having to wait even longer to ravish you." He kissed her cheek again, not being able to help himself.

"You've waited this long," Kate said, poking his side. "You can handle a couple of hours."

He poured her a glass of wine and they started to mingle. They kept sneaking glances at each other and their friends could practically see the sparks between them. Lanie was keeping a close eye from across the room. She saw them touch hands, Kate would hold onto Rick's elbow, or his hand would linger at the small of her back just a little longer than necessary. Lanie pulled Ryan and Esposito away from the other guests they were talking to and pointed out the happy couple.

"Look at them!" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice down. "They are absolutely 100% together."

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked. "They've been acting normal at the precinct. I think we'd be able to tell, right?"

"I don't know," Esposito said. "They do look extra cheery tonight… Lanie might be right."

Just then, as the three friends had their heads together, they noticed Beckett and Castle sneaking off to the bathroom near the entry way.

"Come on!" Lanie cried. "We can catch them in the act!"

"Ew…" Ryan and Esposito said together. They all crept quietly after Kate and Rick, the boys trying not to picture what was happening behind the closed door.

Inside the bathroom, Rick had Kate pressed against the door, lips against her neck, arms hugged tightly around her waist.

"Rick, wait," Kate gasped breathlessly. "We can't do this now, people will notice we're missing!"

"Not for a few minutes," he answered between kisses. "Besides, I couldn't keep my hands off you any longer. It was torture standing next to you out there knowing I couldn't touch you!"

"It's after 11:30," she said. "Less than a half hour and you can kiss me all you want, in front of everyone here."

"Mmm, I can't wait," he said, his mouth nuzzled against the spot behind her ear he knew she loved.

She squirmed against him, still trying to convince him to rejoin the party. "Seriously, we need to go!"

"Ugh, fine," he said reluctantly. He looked dejected as he pulled away but kept his hands at her hips.

"Pouting again?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Not a good look for you, Castle." He tried to smile but she could tell he was faking it. "Tell you what," she continued. "If you're a good host for the rest of the night, we can have a new kind of fun once the party is over…"

His eyes widened and a real grin spread across his face. "Really?" he said excitedly. "Are you serious?"

"I am," she replied. "Now let's hurry up and get back to the party. How soon after midnight can we start kicking people out?" She smiled as she opened the door.

"You're so evil, Beckett," he said. "If you thought I was a terrible host before, just wait. I won't be able to take my eyes off you now. And to answer your question, I'm telling everyone to leave as soon as Auld Lang Syne is over."

They both beamed as they walked back to the hall. Rick almost ran into Kate as she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" he yelped. Looking up, he noticed Ryan, Esposito and Lanie standing in the hall staring back at them.

"Well well well," Lanie said slowly. "What do we have here?" She crossed her arms and looked both Rick and Kate up and down.

"Um…" Kate stammered. "We were just…"

"I was just helping…" Rick tried to continue.

"He was fixing something on the back of my dress.""Yeah, the pull-y thing -"

"- zipper -"

"Right, the zipper got stuck and I had to…"

"Get it… unstuck," Kate finished awkwardly.

"Uh huh, like we believe that for one second," Lanie said. "How dumb do you think we are?" All three of them shook their heads and stared, waiting for answers.

"Ok ok!" Kate cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Yes, you're right, we're together!"

Rick just watched nervously, hoping Kate wouldn't be mad. She liked to follow plans and he knew she wanted to reveal their relationship to everyone in just the right way. Getting caught sneaking out of a bathroom where they had just been making out was not it.

"Finally!" All three of their friends shouted in unison.

"When?" Lanie asked hopefully.

'_Of course,'_ Beckett thought to herself. She and Castle had both known about the precinct pools about them for years. She looked at Rick and he knew exactly what she was thinking. '_Time to have a little fun.'_

"One year ago today," Rick answered.

Lanie looked like she was going to faint while Ryan and Esposito both yelled, "WHAT?"

Kate and Rick both doubled over laughing at their reactions. They were all extremely confused.

"_Obviously_ we haven't been together that long," Kate said. "It's been a week! Come on guys, give us a little credit. Yes, we wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little bit but we're not going to hide it from you forever!"

"A week?" Ryan asked. "YES! That means I win! I gotta go tell Jenny - we're totally upgrading to first class and a giant hotel suite for the honeymoon!" He ran off to look for his fiancé.

"Come on," Rick said. "Let's all get back to the party." He put his arm around Kate and Lanie, guiding them both back to the living room.

"We're not done with this!" Lanie whispered to Kate sharply. Kate just smiled back at her friend, knowing she'd have to give in and spill the details soon enough.

They all danced and drank and had a great time until it was just a few minutes before midnight. Rick turned the music down low and stood on a chair, getting everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for coming," he said loudly. "I'm so glad we could all be together to ring in the new year. I have a feeling it's going to be an amazing year." He glanced down at Kate, the look on her face showing she obviously agreed. "The ball is going to drop in less than a minute so let's allow the professionals to do the countdown." He hopped down from the chair and turned up the volume on the television.

Wrapping his arm around Kate's waist, they all counted down from ten together. As they reached the end, Rick looked into her eyes and said quietly, "Happy New Year, Kate. Here's to an extraordinary 2012."

She smiled up at him as she replied, "Happy New Year, Rick." They leaned in and kissed, completely oblivious to their friends and family cheering around them. As far as they were concerned, they were the only two people in the world.

THE END


End file.
